Here’s Why I Stopped Using Google AdSense

It might seem strange to newbie bloggers that why someone would stop using Google AdSense. The reason is that a lot of beginners dream all day long to get their Google AdSense accounts no matter how fresh their blogs are. It’s because almost every blogger starts off blog monetization with Google AdSense, and so did I.

It’s also true that I stopped using Google AdSense after two years. And, I’ll take this opportunity to share my point of view on blog monetization as well as I’ll dig deeper into the reasons why I chose that route.

But first things first, this blog post doesn’t mean there is something wrong with Google AdSense. It’s a phenomenal ad network to monetize your websites and blogs. I stopped using AdSense back in 2011 when I wanted to explore new blog monetization methods, and never had a chance to get back to it.

So without any further ado, let’s get right into the reasons why I stopped using Google AdSense:

1. Traffic Locations

One of the essentials of making money blogging through Google AdSense is the traffic location. It means that if your audience is from top-tier countries like USA, UK, Australia, and Canada, then you’re likely to make more money on each click as compared to the clicks from other countries. It’s been a tried-and-tested thing; I won’t be surprised if you don’t find an answer to that on the internet. It’s obvious because the advertiser would pay less for the audience that might not convert through advertising. Moreover, the advertisers from top-tier countries are likely to have more purchase power than the others.

2. Blog Niches

The blog’s niche has a massive role in Google AdSense earning. I’m not the expert on Google AdSense, but every publisher knows that certain blog niches make more money than others. For example, the ads show on insurance, finance, mortgage, and health blogs pay far more than the ads that show on sports, news, and marketing blogs. It’s advisable to do thorough research on blog niche before starting your blog and monetizing with Google AdSense.

3. AdSense Alternatives

When you’re using Google AdSense, you have to take care of small details such as content appropriation, ad placement, blog design, and much more. On the other hand, if you’re using Affiliate Marketing or any other blog monetization method, you might not feel that pressure much. I found affiliate marketing a better alternative to AdSense due to many reasons, for example, you can place as many banners or links as you want, or you could lose your AdSense account, if their system detects unusual activity such as fake clicks even if there were no fake clicks, you can still lose your account.

4. Compliance

If you’re a publisher, you’d know that AdSense does have specific terms and conditions for publishers to follow. Sometimes, your blog content doesn’t comply with their policies, and therefore, your blog no longer remains monetizable through Google AdSense. One of the changes Google made in the past few years is that they don’t completely disable an account, but they demonetize the blog or specific pages instead. So compliance with their terms and conditions is an integral part of the success.

5. Low Traffic Sites

One of the reasons why I stopped using Google AdSense was that I have had low traffic on my sites. If you’re a blogger or website owner, you’d know that the downside of PPC and CPM advertising is that you need a lot of website traffic to make money. I wanted to make the most of it by utilizing the best options available. When I figured out affiliate marketing and selling my freelance writing service, the low traffic didn’t bother me at all. Instead, I started focusing on quality leads than the number of visitors every day. It turned things upside down for me. If you have a low-traffic blog or site, make sure you try out looking for more options to make money.

6. Less Income

I have to admit that my AdSense income was low – I was making give or take $200 each month, and I’m telling you the average; I do remember cashing out $100 a month as well. It’d be unfair to put the blame on AdSense altogether, there were other factors into play as well, for example, the demographics of my audience and blog niches weren’t so great. So I had to pivot and find something that works better than AdSense. So back in 2012, I came across the concept of freelancing, and the next thing I remember, I understood it and started using my blog to sell my freelance writing service. Although I struggled for three years before I started making consistent money through freelancing, I knew that it has the potential to outsmart AdSense income. And, I was right about that because now in 2018, I’m proud that I chose the right option and didn’t give up.

Your Part

So these were the few reasons why I stopped using Google AdSense service to monetize my blogs.

I want to be 100% clear that there isn’t any problem with Google AdSense; it’s a great platform to make money if you understand it well and your blog niche inclines towards the popular industries that do well on AdSense. If you’re like me who works in the niches like digital marketing, blogging tips, and personal development, then AdSense might not be the greatest choice to make money.

I want you to plan intelligently whether or not you should aim for getting an AdSense account because it requires a lot of energy to get approved in the program.

Do a little research on the best blog niches to make money from AdSense. If your blog niche falls into those categories, feel free to get an AdSense account, if it doesn’t then look out for alternatives just like I did back in 2012.

In the end, I’d like to ask you a simple question that you should answer me honestly in the comments section.

Did this blog post change your perspective on choosing the blog monetization method?

I stopped using AdSense in 2011 and wrote this blog post a few months ago, but published it recently. I have no idea what you’re talking about. If you’ve read this blog post, you’d know that it’s written based on my experience. Cheers.

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Hi, my name is Hassaan Khan. I’m a blogger who is passionate about content marketing, personal branding, and blogging tips. If you want to be a part of this journey, make sure to subscribe and say “hi” on social media to get connected.

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